Converging Paths
by WanderingStarmaster
Summary: An exploration of those who traveled and fought with the Greil Mercenaries before they appear in-game, and how they came to be there.
1. Mia

First of a series of stories I have in mind. Enjoy.

* * *

Most girls could tell what would happen to them as they grew older. They would come of age, marry, bear children, manage a household on a farm or something similar, live and grow old all in pretty much the same place they had been born in. Yes, for most, it was as sure as the change of the seasons.

One remote village, however, had a young woman who was far from average, an enthusiastic, energetic, vivacious girl with dark blue hair and bright green eyes. Rather than spend her entire life in one place, she wanted to see what was out there. She did not really care where, whether it be Crimea, Daein, Begnion, or even the wilds of Gallia, as long as it was out there, anywhere but here. Rather than learn to cook and sew and clean, she wanted to learn the sword. No, Mia was not like most girls.

She did not know why she was the way she was, nor did she care. What mattered was that she did feel this way and so she had her heart on set on it. Her parents were somewhat put off by her attitude. They were content with their lives and the home they had built from the ground up, nevertheless they realized that a headstrong young woman such as their daughter was not going to get over this wander lust any time soon. And so, after much consideration, talking, and worrying, they decided to let the girl go and make her own way in the world.

Just to be safe, and sate her somewhat until then, her father started taking her aside for a few minutes each day and teaching her some basic swordplay with a pair of wooden sticks. She applied herself with exhausting enthusiasm, and energy and tenacity that made him feel his age, even though he was just shy of forty. Others in town thought he was wasting his time teaching a girl swordplay. Mia simply stuck her tongue out at such detractors and threw herself in with greater determination.

The day of her departure she was so excited she could barely sleep, but regardless, she was up at the crack of dawn, with an energy that bordered on the supernatural. Stepping outside, she made her way to the main thoroughfare in the village and looked up and down its length until her father came to see her off. Before she left, he had a parting gift for her: a sword, nothing fancy, just a typical iron sword that soldiers were often issued, one that he himself had carried during his days as a militiaman. He also gave her directions to a town of some decent size that was not too far away and which was not too dangerous to travel to. Still, he counseled her to find a caravan or other large group as it would be safer that way. Once there she should be able to find someone to train her in sword fighting, or anything else she wanted.

After a final quick embrace (she had never been one for sentimentality) she turned and started down the road in the direction he had indicated. With his gift in her grasp, and his words in her thoughts, Mia thought the world was hers for the taking. Never did she think that anything could get between her and her dreams.

A week later, Mia was wondering why she had ever left home. Upon reaching her destination, she had set out to look for a swordmaster to train her, firmly believing that none could possibly turn her down. She was shocked when she was repeatedly rejected. "You're too scrawny," one told her. "This isn't a game, girl," said another. "Women shouldn't be swordfighters." The most encouraging had been, "Come back when you're older," but that was little improvement. And so it went, one day after another.

Now, with her funds beginning to dwindle, she contemplated her next action. _Do I go home? Do I stay and find something here?_ Her original thought had been…what had been her original plan? Looking back she realized she had not planned much beyond traveling to the town. Now as she sat in a run-down tavern she felt she should just give up and go back, resign herself to her fate and learn to sew, and all those other housewife things.

She sighed. _After I told everyone what I would do, that would be humiliating._

But it looked like she would wind up doing that anyway, if not in the village, then here in this town. _If that is to be my fate, I might as well be somewhere familiar, rather than surrounded by strangers. _She shook her head. _No, Pops believed in me. He said I have potential._

_But he admitted he was no expert, _her thoughts suddenly turned negative again. He had been trained to fight common soldiers or brigands, not engage in the epic sword fights she envisioned for herself.

She closed her eyes and drew up such a clash in her mind; she facing her archrival, blade drawn, ready to match his in a spectacular match of flashing steel and human skill, all against the backdrop of the rising sun. _Or should it be a setting sun?_ She thought for a moment before deciding that "battle at dawn" sounded better than "battle at dusk."

_But it won't be either if I can't learn to fight,_ she thought.

Sighing again, she reached into her pouch, feeling how many coins she had left. _Not enough._ Another surprise, each of those instructors had a price for their services. She had thought that daring swordfighters simply traveled the countryside looking for challenges to their skill, not waiting in boring towns for people to give them money. _This is so disappointing._

Coming back to the reality she had been so rudely introduced to, she tried to organize her thoughts. After a quick count of money, she decided she could stay here for another three days. If by then she had not found a trainer who would take her or a means to replenish what she had spent, she would return home, even though if she did, she would likely be ensuring that she would spend the rest of her life in that village.

Sigh. _Better get moving._

For the rest of the day she wandered around, looking to see what there was that she could do. Asking a nearby guard gave her an idea, but it was not encouraging. It seemed the only options were either tending a bar at a tavern, or assisting a baker or butcher or some other such thing. Maybe the fletcher, or being a hand at a stable, as deadly boring as they sounded.

"In need of some gold, young Miss?"

Mia turned to see who was speaking, a middle aged man with greasy looking hair and dark eyes roamed uncomfortably over her.

"Who are you?"

"Oh, just a dealer in…fine goods, among other things, information, for example. I know things dearie, I know who has what, who's with whom, and where to get whatever it is you want."

"So, what do you want with me?"

"You are in need of coin, are you not?" he asked.

"Yeah, do you know where I can get some?" Something about this man made her uneasy.

"Of course, there is always a way for a dazzling young beauty such as yourself to make gold. I can imagine there would be any number of men who would love to make use of your…services. And they would pay quite handsomely for it as well." By now his implication was obvious and she wanted nothing more to do with him.

"Sorry, not interested." Mia turned to leave but was stopped by a hand grabbing her arm.

"No?" he breathed less than inch from her ear. "You should really reconsider." He started pulling her in the direction of a nearby alley.

"Let me go!"

He chuckled, as though she were joking. His other hand had snaked around her waist and was now traveling up her stomach towards her…

She suddenly stomped down, her foot connecting with his. He yelped in surprise more than pain and she jerked herself out of his grip. Then she turned toward him, taking a fighting stance. Though her sword remained sheathed, she gripped the hilt, ready to draw.

The "Dealer" stared at her for a few more minutes before seeming to decide she was more trouble than she was worth. With a contemptuous snort, he hurried off.

After her encounter, Mia suddenly realized it was near sundown, and the streets were emptier, most people having returned to their homes, probably why she had been accosted just now. She was pleased at having driven the creep off. _Serves him right for thinking I'm some helpless little girl._

Still, as unpleasant as he had been and unsavory his suggestions, it did not change the fact that she was in ever more desperate need of money. Too late for that today. Dejectedly, she trudged back to the inn where she had taken lodging.

She had not gotten far when she noticed a rough looking group staring at her. Mia was not naturally prone to fear, but she still got nervous in some situations, and this was one such situation. She quickened her pace.

It had gotten darker when she noticed two figures blocking her path. She turned to avoid them but they moved to stay in front of her. Her annoyance grew until she got close enough to see their faces. She stopped in shock. It was the Dealer! He grinned leeringly at her and seemed to beckon with his hands.

Mia shook her head adamantly, but when she sensed movement behind her, she realized to her horror that he was signaling to someone else. Taking a quick look over her shoulder, she saw three other men, one of which appeared to be a town guard; probably his area to stand guard tonight, so his group had no fear of an alarm being raised.

Suddenly, Mia felt very alone, and with that sensation came fear. She knew what these men wanted and now they were going to take it.

"You should have accepted when I first made the offer, dearie." The Dealer grinned maliciously.

Drawing her sword, she waited for a reaction. Two axes and a sword appeared while the Dealer drew a dagger. The guard lowered his lance.

Mia knew she was doomed. There was no way an inexperienced swordfighter could fight off five men, even if two of them were wielding axes. Still, she would make them hurt before they took her, and if need be, she decided, she would throw herself on her sword rather than let them have her. Most likely they would kill her anyway.

"Alright then, who's first?" She glared at them, hoping to intimidate them, but they seemed to merely find it amusing. She might as well have been a puppy yapping at a pack of wolves.

One of the axe fighters stepped forward and took an experimental swing at her. She barely ducked in time. Now the swordsman stepped up, offering a quick thrust which she blocked with a clumsy parry. Their grins widened, and she realized that they had figured her skill level. Now they each seemed to attack in turn laughing at her attempts to ward them off. Twice she attempted to rush through a gap in the human wall but each time she was pushed back into the midst of them.

Attacks increased in number, one would divert her attention while another made a quick jab from behind her, then watch as she spun around trying to hit them before they got out of reach, but always they were too fast. Already she was beginning to tire, and eventually they would become bored of this game get to what they really wanted.

"What have we here?" came a new voice. The brigands started. They had been so focused on tormenting their prey that they had forgotten to see if anyone was coming. Turning to the source, they saw a young man with a sword to the Dealer's neck and a dangerous glint in his eye.

The guard made a started to move but the newcomer pressed to sword more tightly into his captive's neck. "Tell them to back off. Now!"

The Dealer gulped and said, "Do it!"

The other four retreated slightly, weapons still in hand. That done, the newcomer turned the Dealer around and pointed the sword at his throat.

"Well? What's going on here?" He asked.

"W-We have…that is the guard there had captured this girl," the swordsman glanced down at Mia. "She is a dangerous criminal."

"Really?"

"Yes!"

"So dangerous that it takes five men to subdue her?"

"It's a ruse," the Dealer protested. "She's trying to lull us into a false sense of security!"

"Obviously she succeeded." The swordsman was clearly not taken in. "Now when I noticed the clamor, I asked guards to come investigate if I did not return in five minutes."

The guard started visibly and the other two looked ready to bolt. The Dealer's face twisted in a sneer. "Very well."

The Dealer stalked past Mia, glared down at her, then turned with a jerk of his head. "Let's go." With that, the Dealer and his cronies disappeared into the night, save the guard, who quickly ran to a street corner and took an official looking position as though nothing had happened.

When they were gone, the swordsman started off in the opposite direction. Mia watched him go until he turned and asked, "Are you coming?"

"Huh? Oh!" She shook herself out of her daze and started after him.

"So that's how I wound up there. And now it looks like I'll have to go home and start a life as a quaint village woman, with a cozy home, dozen children, knitting mittens and socks for them…"

The swordsman, Kalen, as he had called himself, listened attentively as Mia told her story. "And what do you plan to do after learning the sword?"

"Well…" She thought for a moment.

"I'm waiting."

"I…I don't know."

"Just as I thought. There are many things a skilled sword fighter can do. There is the army, acting as a mercenary, working for some noble, but if do not have the foresight to at least look into possibilities and form contingency plans, or any other plan for that matter, you are not going to get very far in anything."

"Well, what do you do?"

"I am something of a mercenary. I travel around seeing what there is to be done and I do it." He grinned, "For the right price, of course."

"That's just what I always thought a sword fighter was like!" she exclaimed.

"There are some like myself. But it is not an easy life. I am constantly on the move, living in the wilds, and in times of peace, my income is more likely to come from bandits who make the mistake of waylaying me on the highway than a paid commission."

"I don't care about that! I just want to learn to sword fight, to meet another and have an epic battle, and especially to meet my archrival and beat him!" she cried loudly.

Kalen shook his head in amusement. "Is that truly your heart's desire?"

"YES!"

For a moment they locked eyes and his seemed to look through hers, as if measuring her will. A moment passed, then two, then…

"Do you believe in the Goddess?"

"Huh?" _Where did that come from?_

"Ashera. The Goddess."

"I know. And I don't know. I never really thought about it."

"Hmmm…" he seemed contemplative. "I do believe in Her. I believe She puts people in certain places to effect greater things, or to build them into what She wants them to be."

"And, you think this might be…like that?"

"Maybe." He paused. "Meet me outside the town in the morning. We will see what happens."

The next morning Mia arose, washed, dressed, and went out to find Kalen. Her search eventually led her to a spot near a clump of trees. There she found him putting himself through a vigorous sword routine.

As she watched, he made several forward thrusts, parried an imagined blow, and counterattacked with a swing at where the neck would be, then spun around to face the opposite direction.

Noticing her, he beckoned her forward.

"Good morning," he said when she arrived.

"Hi." A pause. "So, ummm…what were you going to do?"

"Attack me!" he cried, brandishing his sword before him.

Mia simply stared at him.

"Come now! I can't wait all day. Attack me! Take a swing, a thrust, anything!" He smirked, "Or are you afraid? See this is why we don't usually give swords to women."

That did it. Mia drew her sword and ran at him with a yell.

Kalen simply stepped aside and watched her fly by. "Again."

Once again she lunged at him and again he dodged. "This isn't a joust, you know. Come stand here." He indicated the spot before him.

Silently she went over and stood facing him.

"Now take a stance." He ordered.

Obediently, Mia spread her feet and held her sword directly in front of her. He took a moment to observe her, walking around her, eyes switching between the spacing of her feet to the grip she had on her hilt.

"Hold your sword more like this, with the hilt in front of your hip, tip pointed at either their chest or throat."

He watched as she followed his instructions. "Now when you attack, there is no need to throw yourself at an opponent. The wonderful thing about swords is that they can move to almost any position without moving your body at all." He demonstrated, moving his sword about his body without shifting his stance.

"Consider other weapons: a lance man, for example carries a weapon almost as long as he is. It has long reach, but is more unwieldy. The axe on the other hand needs a great deal of force behind it. It has a lot of power but has a shorter reach. Their lack of leverage requires those who use them to throw themselves into the attack. Should the attack fail, they will require a moment to set themselves again, whereas sword users can recover almost instantly, and why the sword usually has an advantage over the axe."

He returned to his original position. "Now, keeping in mind what I just said, attack me!"

Mia watched him for a moment, considering how to proceed. She saw that his sword was held low, far from his face, so she started with a swing toward his neck. He blocked it easily, but seemed pleased that she had learned. "Again!"

By the end of the day, Kalen seemed to have found his answer, whatever it was. Turning to the exhausted girl he said, "I will be leaving tomorrow. If you wish to come along, meet me here at the same time as this morning." Mia did not need to be told twice.

Thus began their travels together. Kalen would set their course and they would go. Along the way he would train Mia and refine her swordplay, as well as offer a few life's lessons along the way. Where they found work they accomplished their objective with great efficacy, Mia happily swinging her sword, Kalen being more sober in his task. Where they found none, they foraged in the wilds for or raided the caches of bandits in the area. Sometimes they had great success, other times they did not, and once found themselves on the verge of starving, kept alive only by Kalen making a stew out of roots, and roasting grasshoppers.

They continued as such for three years, during which they began to make their way toward Crimea. When Mia asked why there specifically he simply said, "A strange wind is blowing." During this time he began to train her more rigorously, and to make contingency plans. What was happening to put him on edge Mia could not begin to guess.

One evening found them approaching the Crimean capital of Melior. It was late, and the gates had already been closed for the night.

Kalen stood for a while staring at it. "A quiet, peaceful kingdom," he said, wistfully.

Turning to Mia he said, "Our services will be needed here."

"When?"

"Soon."

Once again, he seemed to sense something she could not.

He continued, "If we should get separated in the coming days, do not worry about me. Concentrate on your own survival. You know enough now. You can go alone if you need to."

"What? Is something going to happen?"

Kalen simply stared at the distant Castle Crimea.

The following morning, he decided to head south to a smaller town rather than into Melior. Stopping at the local market he watched the crowds while Mia looked for food. She was interrupted by a sudden commotion, a soldier had appeared bearing dire news.

"Daein has invaded! Melior is under siege. We need volunteers to bolster the army."

Having heard this pronouncement, Mia turned to Kalen, who nodded toward the soldier who was taking the signatures of volunteers. Approaching him, she asked to sign on.

The soldier looked surprised. "You? You look a little young to fight a war. Can you even use that sword?" Mia felt her teeth grinding.

Kalen chose that moment to step forward. "Trust me she can. I taught her myself."

The recruiter locked eyes with him for a moment before nodding, "Very well."

"Both of you be here tomorrow morning. We will join up with other groups of recruits and militias, and march to Melior. Once there we will break the siege and drive the Daein from our soil."

In her excitement, Mia never noticed that the soldier did not seem to believe his own words.

The next morning, Mia awoke at dawn, as usual, washed, dressed, and armed herself before running out to where the makeshift army had assembled. Kalen was already there she saw.

The recruiter was speaking. "I will not lie to you, the situation is grave. The Knights of Crimea are barricaded inside Melior, and we have no word on the Royal Family. If we can draw the Daein after us, it may give Lord Renning the chance he needs to drive them off completely. "

Following this, he gave orders to start marching. Outside the town, they met up with other groups of volunteers and militias then marched in a body to the outskirts of the capital.

A ring of darkness comprised of the black Daein armor encircled the city, while winged figures filled the sky overhead.

"The plan is simple. We will split into two groups, one to the east and one to the west. We will engage the perimeter guards; after they sound the alarm part of the main army will break off to engage us. We will then retreat to the south and take cover in the woods." A simple enough plan.

The force was then split in two; Mia became part of the western force while Kalen went with the east force.

Mia, much to her delight, was one of those who attacked the enemy head on. Looking ahead, she saw her target: a group of four, two lances, a sword and axe. _Easy._ One of the lancers had a horn. Perfect, he had to be last.

She and a few others rose from where they had crept up, weapons raised. The guards had a few moments to realize what was happening before Mia was on top of the axe fighter.

The first part went according to plan. The ambushed guards raised an alarm and part of the siege army came to pursue them. They had also counted on three or four wyvern riders as part of the pursuit. Instead however, close to fifteen came to attack them.

A few were downed by archers, but close to a dozen still bore down in them as well as the main ground force. Outnumbered and outmatched, the Crimeans had no choice but to continue their retreat as the wyverns began to sweep through their ranks.

Mia found herself engaging a wyvern lord with an axe. She wasn't so much concerned about the rider, as she felt she could handle him. _It's that lizard he's on._ Each time she tried to attack the rider, the large reptilian head snapped at her.

The wyvern suddenly lurched, knocking its rider off. Mia caught a glimpse of an arrow in its neck before rushing at the rider. He took a swing with his axe, which she easily dodged and countered with her blade in his throat.

She then ran for the tree line.

Hours later Mia realized she was lost. She had tried to keep track of where she'd been but one tree looks pretty much like another. Eventually, she found a stream that, if nothing else, could lead her out of this wood. Then she could get her bearings. However, the light was getting low, and not having a torch on her, decided to stay where she was for the time being. So, hoping there were no wild creatures and that there would be no sudden cold snap, she placed her sword next to her, and curled up on the ground for the night.

Dawn found her still sleeping the next morning. She woke to find the sun already climbing into the sky. _I must've been more tired than I thought._ She was also hungry, but not so much that she felt like foraging around the trees for breakfast. Instead she went to the stream to sate herself of thirst. Kneeling down, she scooped water with her hands drank three gulps, washed her face, then rose and turned and stopped at the sight of a spear leveled at her throat. Holding it was a man in black armor. A quick glance around showed two more Daeins nearby, and her sword was lying on the ground where she had slept. _Oh, I am stupid!_

When night came she sat in the Daein camp, hands bound behind her back, against one of their supply wagons, watching dejectedly as they went about their business. _How am I gonna get out of this?_

As the days went on Mia began to feel for the first time in her life a sense of absolute hopelessness. Captured by an army that had just conquered another country, wrists aching from their bindings, and, worst of all, she was separated from her sword. It was almost enough to make her cry.

Almost.

At least they treated her well enough, barely, but she worried about what would happen when they got where they were going. Added to worry was confusion, as her captors kept moving in a southerly direction toward…Gallia? Why would they be going there? Of course, no one offered an answer, and they continued into the wooded country eventually stopping for a time at an abandoned castle, where the soldiers took the opportunity to rest and maintain their equipment.

_I need to get out of here!_ She started scanning everything around her, looking for anything that could hack the ropes off her wrists. The soldiers were smart enough to keep her away from the weapons storage, but surely there were other things that could…

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of something whizzing through the air followed by a meaty _thunk_! As she watched, one of the soldiers fell over dead.

"To arms! We're under attack!" Instantly there was pandemonium as soldiers readied weapons and rushed to face their attackers. Two more whizzes were heard and two more soldiers fell, each with an arrow perfectly between their eyes. _Whoever that is they're a good shot._ She couldn't even see them from where she was.

More commotion came as apparently two ground fighters had entered the fray. Mia kept trying to find a way out before the excitement got to her. One of the fallen soldiers had dropped his lance not too far away. Not seeing a better choice she carefully moved over to it and began trying to loosen the knots on the rope. She would have preferred an actual blade; the lance just had a point that would take a while longer to work.

She gasped as a heavy footstep landed in front of her. For one panicked moment she thought the Daeins had noticed her trying to escape and were going to finish her before that happened. But no, this guy's armor was blue, not black. He had to be one of the attackers. But what did that mean?

"Hey, you're pretty cute!"

_What?_ Didn't see that coming. Looking up she saw the blue-clad knight had lifted his visor to show a blue-eyed, handsome, kind of goofy looking face.

"How did you get here?"

What Mia's answer was going to be not even she knew, and it will forever be a mystery as another voice sounded at that moment, "Gatrie! Over here!"

The one called "Gatrie" turned and thumped off in the direction of the call, leaving Mia by herself, still tied up.

"Hey!"

Gatrie was now speaking with two others, a tall, thin man with a red ponytail and a perpetually bored expression on his face, and a large, powerful looking man hefting the biggest axe she had ever seen like it was nothing. Their conversation was in low voices, as if they feared any surviving soldiers hearing them, but she caught snippets of it.

"…should be there by now…"

"…with _Ike_ of all people…"

"…further south than we realized…"

"…King Gallia must know…"

"…less we have to do with sub-humans…"

"…doesn't do anything foolish…"

"Ummm…Help?"

The three of them turned toward her. "Can you get me out of this?" she asked, indicating her still bound hands.

The large man stepped over to her drawing a small knife. Seconds later the ropes dropped free, and she began massaging them. "Thanks a lot."

"Don't mention it. I am Greil, leader of a band of mercenaries. These two are Shinon," he pointed to the red-haired archer, "and Gatrie."

"Yeah, I actually already met Gatrie."

"Really?"

"Yeah, he saw me while I was still tied up over there. He said I was cute then he wandered off."

"Oh, whoops." Gatrie seemed to turn red. Shinon had a hand to his forehead rubbing his temples. Greil looked amused.

"That does sound like Gatrie." The Knight turned even redder. "So who are you and how did you get here?"

"Oh, I'm Mia. I was captured by these guys while fighting for Crimea. But I'm usually a mercenary."

She half expected him to laugh, but he didn't. Instead he regarded her with a very serious expression. Then he spoke, "Do you have a weapon?"

"Ummm…gimme a minute." She dashed over to the weapons storage cart and began tearing through it for several minutes until she let out a triumphant cry and jumped out proudly flashing her sword. Finally, all was right with the world again.

Turning to her rescuer, she said, "So, where are you going?"

Greil seemed to consider something before responding, "We are escorting the Princess of Crimea to King Gallia. My son, Ike, is seeing to that at the moment. Speaking of which, we need to get going. Daein has pushed further south than we thought. We need to make sure we have nothing at our back."

"Ok, I'm going to see if I can find my way out of here."

"You are welcome to join us if you wish." Greil said.

She paused. This was the first time she had been taken seriously on her own. No questioning her skill or comments about her being a woman. "I'll think about it."

Greil nodded. "Very well. If we meet up again, you can give me your answer. In the meantime, keep an eye out for my son."

Gatrie spoke up. "Isn't he supposed to be heading the other way?"

Greil looked grimly amused. "Yes, but I know Ike too well. He'll be around here somewhere."

Mia nodded after a moment then headed off trying to find a way out of the castle.

Hours later she was lost again. Entering another part of the castle, she noticed the same black armor that she had become all too familiar with. "Uh-oh. Daein soldiers here too." There were none in her immediate vicinity save one lance wielder, but he didn't seem like too much of a problem. "Now where's that exit…hm?" From somewhere deeper in the castle came the distinctive sound of metal on metal. "What's that sound? Someone…fighting?"

A quick search had located the combatants, a small group was taking on the Daein army. Their leader was a blue-haired young man. Aside from the Daeins, she only knew of one other company of humans this far in Gallia. She ran up to the young man.

"Your name wouldn't happen to be Ike would it?"

* * *

And thus Mia enters the stage. Comments and criticisms welcome.


	2. Nasir

Second part of this series.

* * *

He was old. He did not look it, he knew, like all his kind he kept his age extremely well. How old he actually was he kept to himself. It was not necessary for others to know. After a time, Nasir no longer even kept track of such things. Such was the life of a dragon.

Regardless, he did have some events that he cherished as memories. The day he took a wife, the experiences they had in raising children, then there were other memories that seemed to stay no matter how much time passed, the day his family was destroyed, all save his granddaughter, Ena, which led him to leave his native Goldoa and wander the continent of Tellius.

It was not often that one of the Dragon Tribe to be seen outside Goldoa. Indeed, it was rare to see any Laguz anywhere in the human kingdoms. Until recently, Laguz had been regarded as slaves, and while that was no longer the case, there was still considerable bad blood between the two sides, which would probably last for a while, considering the long lives and memories of the Laguz.

Fortunately, the Beorc had such limited experience with the Dragon Tribe that they probably would not recognize him as one. He did not have wings or cat ears and a tail. The only external indicators of his race were his slightly pointed ears, but Beorc probably wouldn't notice them or pay attention if they did, and the marking on his forehead, but that could easily be mistaken for a tattoo. No, he did not fear being discovered.

And so, he wandered, traveling from one end of the continent to the other. In this time he saw many things, the establishment of the kingdoms of Crimea and Daein from the greater Begnion Empire, the assassination of the Begnion Apostle, and the tragic massacre of the Serenes Heron clan. The years that followed were marked by a number of strange occurrences; the Royal Family of Daein suffered a devastating illness that eventually killed all heirs to the throne, save one, Ashnard.

Once crowned king Ashnard quickly employed his resources in a number of projects, the likes of which, not even Nasir could begin to guess the nature of, not that he cared to. Daein was now extremely hostile to Laguz, and while he still had no fears of being discovered, he had no desire to stay in such a place, as such he rarely went there.

He did notice, however, that their agents seemed to be working far beyond their kingdom's soil. Some of them seemed to be searching for something, while others moved in the shadows, seemingly waiting for something.

But there was less troubling news as well. Ena contacted him and told him that she intended to marry. The object of her affection was another young dragon by the name of Rajaion. He chuckled as he considered that they could be considered "young" when they were both older that many of the Beorc grandparents he saw in his travels. Not only that, Rajaion was the elder son of King Dheginsea. _It seems you have become rather ambitious, Granddaughter. _But he was happy for her, and pleased that she still cared enough to tell him. He would have expected her to be upset with him for leaving just after she lost her parents.

After that message, he did not hear from her for some time. Noting that much of his time was being spent between Begnion and Crimea, he began traveling by ship more often, eventually acquiring his own vessel and operating as a sea captain.

It was after one such voyage a number of years later that he received another message from Ena. Her silence had puzzled him as he had expected to receive tidings of her marriage by this time. Instead, she sent a short, terse note asking him to meet her in a small town near the Daein border.

Something was wrong, that was certain. What was she doing outside of Goldoa in the first place?

Giving his crew some extended leave, he went to the appointed rendezvous. When he reached the town, Ena greeted him with a hard embrace. Nasir was taken aback; while Goldoans were not above physical forms of affection they were not overly given to it either. Thinking about it, Nasir felt her grip on him was like that of one who feared being washed overboard on a stormy sea. _She's in some kind of trouble._ His suspicions were confirmed when he looked in her eyes; Ena was afraid, but why? Not for her own life, he was certain.

Taking him into a nearby inn, they sat in the tavern, as dozens of Beorc raised a commotion about them. Looking at them, one might mistake them for a young couple out for an evening, never suspecting they were actually centuries apart in age.

After taking in drink, they sat for a time, Nasir observing those around him with an unerring eye. Two individuals caught his attention, one sitting at the bar drinking a light ale, the other near the fireplace, with a young woman. Both of them had been observing him discreetly, he realized. Most would not have noticed, thinking them to be solely occupied by their grog or company, but Nasir had lived too long to be fooled thus. He had seen such things before, and he recognized the characteristics of these ones. _Daein spies!_

He watched them in turn, while looking at Ena as he waited for her to speak.

Eventually, she looked at him and said, "I'm glad you came, Grandfather."

He smiled pleasantly, "I am as well." Then he leaned forward, speaking softly, "Ena, what is going on? I can tell you're in some kind of trouble. What is it?"

"They…they have Rajaion," she said quietly. "He had left to find his sister, Almedha, but never returned. I…I went to look for him, but by the time I got there, they had done…something to him." She looked on the verge of tears, but held them back. _She doesn't want the spies to see them._

"Done what?"

"I don't know! They have…twisted him, whether by spell or some other means, I don't know, but they have turned him into a monster!"

"A monster?" Nasir asked in bafflement.

"He cannot change out of his Dragon form. And he no longer looks as he once did. He now looks like a demonic creature! And the King of Daein rides upon him, as though he were a simple wyvern!" The tears would not be held back now. One of the spies seemed to smirk.

"Are you certain it was him?" he asked.

"Yes!" she whispered vehemently. "I'm certain of it! When I saw him I though it not possible, but when he looked at me I knew it was him. Though he did not recognize me, I felt him. I knew with every fiber of my being.

"But there was nothing I could do! I am more powerful than any human, but I am not more powerful than ten thousand. I was in their land and at their mercy." She lowered her head in shame. "I was captured as well."

Nasir gripped the armrests tightly as she continued on.

"At first I thought they would do the same to me, but I was wrong. They brought me before King Ashnard. He made me an offer, a chance to serve him."

"I would think you would have turned him down."

"I would have, except he already knew who Rajaion was to me. He threatened to kill him if I refused." She turned away. "I am in the service of Daein now."

"So what do you want from me?" Nasir asked.

"You are a merchant, correct? You have many contacts throughout Tellius."

"Business contacts, of little or no worth to a man like Ashnard."

"Nevertheless, he wants to know. Please, Grandfather. I have no one else to turn to."

Nasir sighed. Checking on the two spies again, he thought, _I could deal with them myself, but not without causing an incident that would be difficult to explain._

With that thought he made his decision, "What do you need?"

It as it turned out, Daein was planning an invasion of neighboring Crimea. Nasir had little use for petty politics, but kept it to himself. Nasir was to have nothing to do with the invasion itself but was to keep an eye out for Lehran's Medallion. This puzzled him, as there was no reason anyone should want anything to do with the thing. But, he realized, things were rapidly departing sane as the invasion began in earnest.

As things progressed he received new instructions: the Daein army was pursuing the sole survivor of the Crimean Royal Family, Princess Elincia. If they were unable to apprehend her, he was to find a way to join their party and follow them.

The opportunity came when Ranulf, a warrior of Gallia and a contact Nasir had met some years before, sent a message saying that a company of mercenaries escorting the Princess would require sea passage to Begnion. They were currently making their way back through Crimea to Port Toha. The Daein agents, who had taken to shadowing him, were delighted.

When the mercenaries arrived, there was a short time of peace and quiet before the Daein army arrived. They were surprised, but Nasir knew they had been coming, of course. What he had not expected was the large black-armored knight that had accompanied them. He would prove a challenge if the mercenaries confronted him. He might even be a threat to Nasir himself.

Nasir suddenly found the entire thing distasteful, and a desire to see Goldoa again filled him. He resolved that if he and Ena should succeed in freeing Rajaion, he would go home again.

But first he had to figure out how to do that. As he watched the mercenaries fight their way through the Daein soldiers, he noticed one in particular. A young man, the leader judging by the way the others seemed to defer to him, even ones that were clearly older than he. Nasir wondered what had happened to place such a burden on just a lad.

He continued watching. The young man carried himself with a determination and self-assuredness the likes of which he had never seen in a beorc. _There is something to this one._ He resolved to watch this blue-haired fighter to see what became of him.

He glanced away for a moment, just as the sun glinted off something being worn by a young girl. Nasir did a double-take as she hastily stuffed the object back into her clothes, but there was no mistaking it. _Lehran's Medallion!_

Now the situation had changed. The Medallion was within his grasp, but he was unsure what he should do. He did not believe any of the Daeins had noticed it, so for now, this strengthened his hand considerably.

The most obvious choice would be to simply take it when they came aboard, but felt that would raise too much suspicion. It would be better to wait until they were more accustomed to his presence.

Or he could do nothing at all. Whatever Ashnard had planned for it, nothing good could result.

His thoughts were interrupted as the mercenaries clambered aboard. He would need to get a message to Ena somehow. He looked again at the blue-haired leader and wondered; _Do you have any idea what you're caught up in?_

* * *

That part's done. I hope to eventually get the whole cast done. Tell me what you think.


	3. Courtiers

In honor of the end of the semester, another chapter of Converging Paths.

* * *

A brilliant sun shone down upon a picturesque landscape, with vast fields of green, gently rippling in a slight breeze, birds singing from the trees of a nearby wood, squirrels and rabbits foraging for food, deer grazing peacefully, and all of Nature seeming blissfully content. For a troop of mounted soldiers, however, such things were of little concern. The creatures were not spared a second glance and the entire countryside seemed to mock them with its quiet tranquility. The mood over the company was a stark contrast to their setting, a cloud of despair hovering over them.

Sir Geoffrey sighed as he led the procession further south, reflecting on how quickly the tables of fortune had turned. It seemed ages that he had awoken to this beautiful spring day, only to have that peace shattered by a sudden and violent invasion by the Kingdom of Deain. In a matter of hours the capital's defenses had been breached, and the king and queen slaughtered.

Geoffrey had just rounded up his division of the Royal Knights when Prince Renning approached with a sobbing Princess Elincia in tow.

"Geoffrey!" he called.

"Milord!"

"I have a task for you. I need you to escort the princess to Gallia. King Caineghis will look after her there." Geoffrey's heart seemed to stop for a moment. While removing the princess to a place of safety was never in question, it would usually be the royal villa or one of the forts in the outer provinces of Crimea. To send her to another kingdom could only mean he had deemed the tactical situation irreparable and that the fall of their country was imminent. "Can I entrust this to you?" he asked.

"Yes, milord. I will accept this whole-heartedly."

The Crown Prince seemed satisfied and turned to leave when he was stopped by a grip on his arm.

"No, Uncle!" came a desperate plea.

At his niece's voice, the Prince adopted a consoling tone.

"Please, Elincia. Right now my priorities are the defense of the capital and ensuring your safety."

"Then come with us!"

"Elincia."

"Please, Lord Uncle…you…" she gulped, "you are the last of my family. I do not wish to lose you as well."

"And you will not. No matter what happens, I will always be there with you, as will you father and mother. Now be brave. When things are settled here I will send for you."

Even as the words were said, everyone who heard them knew it was a lie, and that he did not expect to see her, or anyone else, again. Seeming to put on a brave face for his benefit, the princess gave a small smile, and drew her uncle into an embrace. They stood like that for several minutes before he finally drew back and walked swiftly away.

Hours later, Geoffrey, Princess Elincia, and a group of Crimea's most elite knights were nearing the outskirts of the capital region. They had thus far been able to escape notice but patrolling wyvern riders could be seen in the distance. Unless they kept moving, it would only be a matter of time before they were spotted.

Elincia had not made a sound since leaving. Her sobs seemed to have been exhausted but tears continued to run down her cheeks and her gaze was continually down. It pained him to see her in such anguish, but he could not think of a thing to say that could alleviate it. Perhaps Lucia would have been able to if she were here; Bastian most certainly would. Neither of them were here, though, it was only him, and his voice was more suited to barking commands than offering comfort.

But still...

"Princess..." She looked up at him, her amber-colored eyes now tinged with red. "I...I want you to know..."

"AMBUSH! WE"RE UNDER ATTACK!"

Geoffrey whirled toward the sound of the call. He did not see anything yet, but he heard a faint, sharp whistling coming from the side. Reacting in an instant, he threw himself at the princess, pulling her down to the ground as a volley of arrows passed through the space they had occupied moments earlier.

Rising to his feet once again, he now saw countless black-clad soldiers storming out of the trees and bushes where they had been hiding and engaging his knights directly. Geoffrey tightened his grip on his lance.

"Princess...move to the rear." She seemed hesitant to do so. "Now! Find a place to hide!"

Elincia finally nodded and ran back, allowing him to turn his attention to the enemy.

A moments glance told him all he needed to know...they were outnumbered nearly three to one, two of his knights lay dead, with another wounded..._three dead, now,_ he thought as one of the Daeins cut down the wounded knight, and they were steadily losing ground.

He stood in his place, ready to deal with any that made it through the others.

_I am the last line of defense. If they would have the princess, they must go through me!_

The enemy line charged, foot soldiers were batted aside by his lance, more agile swordsmen presented a problem but he was able to deal with them as well, and the slower warriors and armored knights met similar fates. But they kept coming, one after the other, without end. Before long it seemed his strength would be exhausted before the enemies' numbers were. It mattered not. He would defend the Princess to his final breath if need be.

Just then a scream was heard. _The princess! _The Deain soldiers paused for a moment before turning and moving in the direction it had come from. _No!_ As they turned away from him, he launched a new attack hoping to draw their attention back to him and allow her some time to escape if possible. A few engaged him but a group continued to move away.

He glanced around to take in the situation. His knights were scattered about as the enemy slowly drove them apart, attempting to finish them individually, and the Princess was nowhere to be seen. He continued fighting, slowly moving toward what he thought was the Princess' position, hoping to reach her before Deain did.

After what seemed like hours had passed, the last of the Deain soldiers was down, and Geoffrey took stock of the situation. More than half of his best knights lay dead or wounded on the battlefield. Worse yet, none of them knew where Princess Elincia was. In the chaos that had erupted, they had traveled at least half a mile from where they had started. A search immediately began, but calls to the princess went unanswered and they began to fear the worst.

They had not been at it for more than half an hour when another division of Deain soldiers was spotted heading in their direction. Geoffrey's heart sank. There was no way they could remain. His men were in no condition to take on fresh troops.

"Knights! To me! Gather up the wounded and prepare to move out." There was little else said as they carried out his orders, each of them weighed down by their failure. They mounted and began to ride toward a small fort where Crimean forces had taken refuge.

* * *

Lucia sank into a chair as Geoffrey reported on the ambush. It was an additional blow to the news that the battle at Melior was over, and the capital was firmly in enemy hands. "So, that's it then. The last of the Crimean line…is gone." Her voice held steady, but he knew his sister well enough see the pain she felt. She and Elincia had been raised together as milk sisters. It was now as though she was missing a part of herself.

"Dark times befall our dear Crimea." Bastian observed. "To whom can she turn to light the way through blackest night to a new dawn?"

Geoffrey continued to stand straight and rigid. "I was the leader of the knights, the failure is mine. I will take full responsibility for it."

"I'm sure you would, Brother, but I think we have more important issues to deal with right now." Lucia got up and began pacing. "We need to regroup, organize ourselves, and form some sort of resistance. They may have won the battle, but I, for one, do not intend to simply let them have my homeland."

"Ah, indeed. The ruffians may trample the very heart of our beloved kingdom, but they may not lay hold upon her untouchable spirit." Bastian concurred. Geoffrey simply nodded.

"Also, we need to find as many of the nobles who have not been captured or killed. We'll need them to re-establish a working government."

"Are you sure about that?" her brother asked. "The first thing they'll want to do is determine which of them will get the crown. With no clearly defined line of passage, they will all be eager to lay claim to it."

Lucia sighed. "I know. But we are going to need their support for anything we might need to do."

"Rest easy, dear Lucia, for I know well the petty desires of those who sit atop Crimea's whited towers." Bastian declared. "Each of these highborn would delight to be called 'Your Majesty' were fate to grace them with such bounteous fortune, and will employ many clever machinations to secure unto themselves that most coveted of prizes. But fear not, for the Count of Fayre is quite capable of vanquishing them upon the field of wit."

Lucia grinned. "That is true. Bastian is more than capable of keeping them honest."

Seeing his companions had made up their minds, Geoffrey nodded his head in agreement. "Very well. Where should we begin?"

* * *

"Relax, Geoffrey. You are not in a formation about to be inspected." He and Lucia were near a wagon which had been their means of transport for the past few weeks as they moved about the country seeking out nobles and other leaders who had managed to go into hiding. They had adopted the cover of merchants, as that would enable them the greatest ease of travel, though to the Deains, they as well might not have existed, which was a great relief. She had worried that one might recognize Geoffrey's ramrod straight stance but after weeks of simply being passed by it had since turned to a point of amusement. The more she pestered him about it, the stiffer his spine became.

She shook her head and glanced around the square where they had set up shop. A decent sized crowd marked the spot where Bastian was putting on his own show. He was juggling, performing magic and otherwise delighting the gathered townsfolk. "It seemed counterintuitive, but he had declared, "Our dastardly foes will likely expect that we will scurry as frightened field mice before the hawk, skulking about in the all-concealing shadows to avoid their vigilant gaze. The town fool making a spectacle of delighting the downtrodden citizens chafing beneath their iron boots would seem as unlikely as snowfall at the height of summer."

She couldn't really argue with him, so he was allowed to continue with his little game. He truly seemed to enjoy it, unsurprisingly.

During their travels they had already made contact with Dukes Delbray and Felirae. Delbray was supportive of their actions and offered his castle as a base if needed. The Duke of Felirae, Lord Ludveck, on the other hand, while not openly opposing them, was not willing to back them fully either. He was ambitious, and no doubt seeking a way to maneuver himself for a run at the throne. And the way he watched her made Lucia feel distinctly uncomfortable.

Others had not been so fortunate. Nados, Gritnea, and Canteus had all fallen, with their lords either killed or driven into exile. Deain was systematically moving through the country. They resolved to head west, feeling there was a higher chance they would be able to find nobles whose lands had yet to fall.

* * *

Geoffrey, Lucia, and Bastian were gathered around a map of the region deciding where to go next when a knock came at the door. Geoffrey readied a weapon as Lucia went to answer it. "Who is it?"

One of their people who had been standing watch stood there. "There is a gentleman who wishes to speak with you."

Lucia glanced back at the other two before nodding and opening the door further. A figure in a hooded robe walked in. "Lady Lucia, I presume?"

The three of them tensed, ready for action if need be. "And if I am?"

The figure lifted his hands and lowered his hood to reveal a set of blue cat ears. A Gallian! "I am Ranulf, a warrior of Gallia, and acting envoy for King Caineghis."

"Oh, uh, sit down, please." Lucia was surprised, but felt there was no danger here, after all the animosity between Deain and all Laguz was well known. There was no chance their visitor was working for them.

"I tracked you down, because I have news that will interest you. Four days ago a mercenary company traveled from Gallia to Port Toha and boarded a ship bound for Begnion." He looked intently at them. "Their orders are to present Princess Elincia to the Apostle in an effort to gain the Empire's support."

The three of them sat silently for several moments then they all began talking at the same time. Ranulf raised his hands for silence. "Please, one at a time."

"The princess is alive?" Geoffrey asked.

Ranulf grinned widely. "Yes she most assuredly is."

"Who are these mercenaries? How did they find her?" Lucia asked.

"They call themselves the Greil Mercenaries, after their founder, who, unfortunately, was slain recently."

"And you just left the princess with them. Why could you not some of your own warriors escort her?" Geoffrey demanded.

"Two of them are traveling with her, but we will soon be in need of the bulk of our forces. I don't think I need to tell you that Deain appears to now be moving against Gallia." Ranulf stated. "Besides, traveling with a group of Laguz would not be beneficial to her case in Begnion. And she is in good hands; I got to know the leader of the mercenaries, and he is a man of sound character. Trust me, he will not let any harm come to your princess."

"The Greil Mercenaries." Lucia seemed to remember something. "I believe we have employed them a number of time in the past. They were quite highly sought after."

Geoffrey still did not look happy, but he said nothing further. Lucia supposed his pride had taken a bit of a blow hearing that a band of sell-swords had finished the task he had been unable to complete.

"Our fortunes begin to turn in a new direction, shining upon the glorious promise of our dear princess returning to claim her rightful place as the ruler of our fair Crimea. Methinks the Goddess doth smile brightly upon us from on high, once again." Bastian gathered up his cape and threw it around himself. "We must make haste and proclaim the good news. The Lords and Ladies must know of this joyous turn of events."

"Yes, though some of them are not going to be happy about it." Lucia said somberly.

"You cannot be serious!" Lord Ludveck declared. "You mean to install this girl on the throne. She who has done naught but sit in the royal villa playing with her toys for her entire life?"

Lucia stood up abruptly. "I was at that villa as well, Lord Ludveck, and I can tell you she did far more than 'play with her toys.'"

"Perhaps the Duke of Felirae would put the betterment of his station above that of Crimea?" Bastian remarked with a twirl of his goatee. Ludveck turned and glared at him and Bastian matched his gaze evenly until the Duke looked away.

"Duke Felirae does have a point," the Count of Melior spoke up. "She has not been trained in the art of politics nor has she been taught to govern. The assumption was that her uncle would be next in line for the throne."

Lucia sighed. That was a bit of an oversight. "Regardless, she is still the sole survivor of the Royal Family, and the crown is hers by right. Unless anyone here actually intends to challenge her for it?"

She was met with silence. There were some who would, she had no doubt, but they would not do so at this time. Ranulf had regularly given her updates on Elincia's campaign to retake Crimea and she in turn had leaked to the populace news of the princess' existence and that she was now leading an army to retake their kingdom. Now they were eagerly awaiting her return, and to challenge her right to the throne would not be prudent. She had also gained the support of the Apostle of Begnion, who had granted her a sizable military force which was now marching on the Deain capital.

"Reports are that she is now moving through Deain, apparently with the intent to take the capital of Nevassa. If she succeeds, the war will be over, and we can begin preparations to welcome her back."

* * *

Though her challenge had gone unanswered in the chambers, she knew there would be many under the table attempts to secure power by whatever means. She was expecting them to happen, though being on the receiving end of one such bid was surprising.

She returned to her chambers one day to find the Duke of Felirae waiting for her. Already a sinking feeling formed in her stomach. "Lord Ludveck."

He smiled in a disarming way. "Lady Lucia." He was trying to be charming, but, while he was handsome, he was far too much of a snake in the grass for her to be taken in. "I thought I might take the opportunity to speak with you in private."

She crossed her arms. "Oh really?"

He drew closer to her. "You must realize that regardless of her lineage, placing her on the throne would not be in the best interest of Crimea. I realize my words before the council were exaggerated and I apologize for that, but the fact that she has no experience in ruling a kingdom at all."

"And I suppose that you would?" she asked bitingly.

"I only wish to call attention to the fact that there are a number in the gentry who are quite accomplished leaders, beside myself, any one of whom could effectively rule Crimea." he responded. "Dukes Garimon and Theline would make excellent choices as well." True, they might, if Ludveck were not one of their peers. He had too much influence over both of them.

"I'm sorry Lord Ludveck, but my mind remains unchanged." She turned to enter her chambers, but Ludveck leaned against the door.

"I would only ask that you consider all options." He replied silkily. "And…if a king were to be installed, he would need a queen by his side." He lifted his hand and reached out as if to caress her face.

She grabbed it and forcibly shoved it away. "I think you should leave, My Lord." Her hand dropped to the hilt of her ever-present sword.

He backed off and she quickly ducked through the door. "So be it, my dear Lucia. But someday you will see that I was right."

* * *

As it turned out, the war would not end so quickly. They received word that Elincia's army had indeed taken Nevassa, but days before that, her scouts had reported that King Ashnard, along with the bulk of the Daein army, had moved to Melior. Why he would do that was anyone's guess, but it was now clear that the Princess would have to fight through Crimea itself to achieve victory. But momentum was on her side now, as she and her general continued to push the Daeins back.

And so, one day as the winter's chill began to give way to the life bearing warmth of spring, Lucia and Bastian journeyed to the border. They found two armies locked in combat on Riven Bridge.

They found a ledge which gave them a vantage point to survey the entire scene, and Bastian peered through a spyglass.

"Is that the Crimean army?" Lucia asked.

"What ho!" He declared. "It is the army come again! I see the Crimean flag in the rear..." he adjusted the glass. "But lo! Who do I spy in the distance? Green hair...orange dress...and eyes bewitching fair..." he lowered the spyglass and looked at Lucia. "Elincia comes! Let us to her aid ride!" he cried.

Lucia's eyes lit with excitement. "The Princess has returned! Count Bastian, return to the castle and inform Geoffrey at once. I will move ahead and inform the princess that her retainers are here to meet her."

Bastian put his spyglass away, before gesturing to the ensuing battle. "Lady Lucia keep your wits about you. That we are excited it fair to say…but show the enemy no weakness, lest he cut us down as autumns wheat."

She nodded. "Good advice. And you watch that you aren't waylaid back to the castle."

The Count let out a hearty laugh. "Even if Deain unleashes on myself the full force of their army's wrath, they are no match for clever Bastian. I'll meet you at the castle gates anon."

Lucia could not help but grin. "Right!"

Bastian mounted a horse and rode off as Lucia returned to the small force they had as an escort. "Let's go." The soldiers formed up and began a quick march toward the bridge. By the time they arrived there, the Crimean army was nearing victory, the Deain forces having been whittled down to their leader, General Petrine, if her reports were correct, and a number of her troops, all of whom were concentrating on the approaching battle line, and did not appear to have noticed her yet. _Excellent._

She turned back to the soldiers. "Are you ready to fight?" she called. "Are you ready to die? We must give our all to protect Princess Elincia!" With that she turned and led them onto the battlefield.

The Deain forces fell quickly at first, until they realized they were being set upon from the rear. Now trapped between two advancing forces, they fought desperately and ferociously, none more so than Petrine herself. She was felled when a blue-haired man who could only have been Elincia's new general tackled her out of her saddle, and after a brief struggle, drove his sword through her breast. The Deain general gasped weakly, suddenly looking quite frightened and almost pitiable. Then she closed her eyes and was still. The remaining Deain forces promptly surrendered.

With the battle over, Lucia could see to the task she had come for. She approached the general. "You are general Ike?"

He turned to look at her. "Yes. Who are you?"

"I am Lucia, a vassal of Princess Elincia. I would like to see her, if you please."

Ike looked at her for a moment, then nodded. "Very well. I'll take you to her."

He lead her to the far side of the bridge where Elincia was apparently looking after some of the wounded with a younger girl.

"Princess Elincia!" she called out. The princess paused and looked up, her eyes widening and her hand coming up to her mouth. "Welcome home! It's so good to see you safe."

Elincia got up and slowly approached her. "Lucia? Lucia! Is it really you?"

Lucia smiled and held her arms out. "I am no spirit." She gasped as the princess wrapped her in a tight embrace. "See? Flesh and bone through and through." She patted her friend's back.

"Ah, Lucia!" Elincia's voice was choked with emotion. "You have no idea how much I've longed to see you."

"And I you, Princess Elincia. When Geoffrey told me you had been lost, my world went dark. When I learned you were still alive…I..was…so…" she reached up to wipe away gathering tears.

"Then Geoffrey is safe as well? Oh, happy day!" Elincia was smiling brightly. "Are there others? How many Crimean retainers have survived?" she asked eagerly.

And so Lucia told her. The princess was delighted to learn Bastian was also well, and listened intently as Lucia told her of their experiences during the occupation. She was astonished to hear that the people of Crimea not only knew of her existence, but were eagerly awaiting her return, a thought that moved her to tears.

* * *

Geoffrey looked out the castle window toward the distant border. "Can it be?" he asked softly.

Bastian moved to his side. "There is no mistake in my words. The princess has returned to Crimea! Lady Lucia serves as her guide. They should be on their way here as we speak."

"How long it's been since we've seen the princess..." Geoffrey's voice was wistful. "We have been living for the day where we steal the eyes from Daein's army and bring her home. And now it has come."

"Indeed." Bastian agreed in a serious voice. "For His Majesty, for the Queen, and...for Crown Prince Renning as well... We must act as one and support our beloved Princess Elincia."

"Yes. If all goes well...our dearest wish will soon come to fulfillment."

"There's no time to wait." Bastian said, slapping Geoffrey on the shoulder. "If we wish to properly greet the princess and her retinue, there is much to be done."

"Right! Let's let everyone know! We must divide the tasks and begin preparations for a feast at once!"

"And flowers must be prepared for the princess's chamber! Oh, we mustn't forget music and entertainment, either." Bastian began counting items off on his fingers.

"I suppose I shall have to polish the silver tableware I was hiding, too." Geoffrey stated.

"You? You possess such refined things?" Bastian's eyes glittered with mirth. "I figured a rustic boor like you would have sold them for a lamb shank."

"I received the silver from His Majesty when I was awarded my knighthood... I have been saving it for just such an occasion."

"Well done! Get ready! We are going to be very, very busy!" Bastian turned and hurried off. "Ha ha! What a fantastic day this will be!"

* * *

Preparations began and the mood upon the castle began to lighten, dispelling the cloud that had hung over them for the past year. The days marched on, and as the princess was due to arrive, dark clouds gathered and the first of the springtime showers graced the land.

Inside the castle, Geoffrey was restless, pacing up and down the halls, stopping to stare out the window, then resuming his pacing. "Today's the happy day the princess returns, and yet the Goddess sees fit to bring rain…"

"Calm rain is like a kiss upon the face. A scent and feel unparalleled in kind. Reunions in the rain are most heartfelt." Bastian observed as he approached, watching as his friend wore a rut in the floor.

Eventually he paused and looked at the count. "Say, Bastian... How far do you suppose the princess and her escort have come? Why aren't they here yet?"

Bastian let out a deep sigh. "Listen, friend. You have asked me that same question fifty-eight times. And I have responded fifty-seven times. But now, fifty-eight comes anon... You. Need. To. Calm. Yourself."

Geoffrey looked sheepish. "I know, but…"

"It's only a little while longer. Make no mistake, our princess will arrive today. I understand your impatience, I really do. But you're the general of our little army. If you act so, then men will react in kind." Indeed his pacing and fussing had already set a number of them on edge, fearing some twist of fortune would steal the princess away at the very moment of her return.

"You…you're right..." Geoffrey stopped and looked at Bastian.

"A true knight is the essence of composure. Take a deep breath." Bastian instructed. "Breathe in...and out..."

Geoffrey did as he was told, taking deep breaths, holding them, then letting them out.

Bastian watched him as he stood still for a moment, then, "Ah, blast! It's no good!" he declared. "I'm going to go…uh…check on…stuff!" With that he turned and fled the scene.

Bastian watched him go. "What am I supposed to do with him?"

* * *

Several hours later found them atop the ramparts of the castle scanning the horizon for any movement. Bastian had grown weary of Geoffrey's restlessness and suggested they personally keep watch. Now as Geoffrey peered into the distance it seemed their vigil had finally paid off as a large group came into view.

"They're here, I see them!" he called. Bastian came over and readied his spyglass. Geoffrey was using all his discipline not to bounce on his toes like a schoolboy. "That's them, isn't it? The princess' army?"

"Where? Show me where you're looking." Geoffrey indicated the direction and Bastian aimed his glass. What he saw was not the Crimean army. "Geoffrey, that's not the princess…those are…" he focused the scope a little, and then his face fell. "Deain troops!"

Geoffrey whipped around to stare at him, dismay on his face. "What? No! Please tell me you're joking!" He grabbed the telescope from Bastian and surveyed the countryside. There was no mistaking it, black armor was taking up strategic positions around the castle. There was no way the princess could come here now.

Geoffrey turned to the count, his face grave. "Bastian, I want you to ride out. Get around the Deains and intercept the Crimean army. Get word to Lucia. She'll know what to do."

"And what of you, my friend?" Bastian asked, though he already knew what the knight's response would be.

"I will hold this castle. This seems to be their objective. Someone must have tipped them off that the princess would be coming here, so either they believe she is already here, or soon will be. Either way, I will hold their attention long enough for Lucia to get Elincia to safety."

"It is likely a fool's errand you embark upon. If you stay in this place, they enemy will overwhelm you before the day's end." Bastian observed.

"My life is not important. All our hopes rest on Princess Elincia. She must be protected at all costs." Geoffrey began to descend from the ramparts. "We must provide the opportunity for her to escape, hopefully before the Deains realize she's nearby."

Bastian nodded soberly. "Very well. I will ride out and bring word to Lady Lucia."

The pair exchanged a firm handshake, then parted ways, each to his appointed task.

* * *

Minutes later, Geoffrey had rallied the few knights he had at the castle, and taken up a defensive position around the front gates. Outnumbered nearly ten-to-one, he had no illusions about being able to actually defend the castle, he only hoped they would not overrun his forces so quickly that they were able to pursue his princess.

He sighed. _Elincia…I would have asked for nothing more than to see your face once again. But if in giving my life I may see that you live, then I offer it freely._ He readied his lance and prepared for the first enemy charge.

They came in waves, most of the early ones weaker or less experienced troops who were easily cut down or batted aside. Then came ranged attacks from mages and snipers trying to force them to ride out and deal with them or risk being picked off from afar. He had already lost three knights to this, two to spell and arrow, and a third who attempted to drive them off and was cut down by nearby ground forces.

Now as the mounted and armored knights assembled, he knew they were preparing to make a decisive advance on his position, one that would likely mean the end of him. He glared down at them and gripped his lance. _So be it. I do this for Crimea and for Elincia._

The knights in front of him never advanced, though. A horn sounded to the east, and as all eyes turned toward the source another army rode onto the field.

"G-general Geoffrey!" one of his knights called. "I-it's the Crimean army! Princess Elincia's army is heading this way sir!"

Geoffrey cursed. "Fools! What are you thinking Bastian?" He watched as the army began to line up in preparation for an advance on the castle. "Oh, Princess…it's not too late. Please take wing and flee!"

Most of the knights that had been assembling to attack now turned to meet this new threat. A single line remained to keep the castle defenders off their rear, but the line facing him was now more on par with his own. A quick glance showed that the Crimean army had engaged the Deains, though most of the front-line fighting was being done by soldiers other than Crimean regulars. _These must be the mercenaries we'd heard about._

Geoffrey shook his head and settled himself. Assuming they all survived this he was going to have severe words for someone, whoever was responsible for this.

* * *

The battle lasted most of the day, but as the Crimean army succeeded in driving off the last of the Deain attackers, Geoffrey marched out to the Crimean lines. Now to find out why they had not diverted as he had directed.

After searching for a while, he came across Bastian. "Bastian!"

The Count turned and smiled widely as he saw Geoffrey. "What ho, brave general! Have you come to partake of the revelry that so freely flows among our victorious forces?"

"Geoffrey!" Lucia came up and embraced him. "Good to still have you."

"Never mind that! Why did they come here?" the general demanded. "You were supposed to lead them to safety!"

"We were going to, but General Ike decided that he would follow the princess' wishes and ensure your safety." His sister explained.

"And you went along with this? I don't believe it! This is far too reckless for a military commander to behave. How could he just charge into a battle like that?"

"Because, when I start a fight, I intend to win." came a voice from the side. Geoffrey turned to see a young man with blue hair approaching. The mercenary general. He bore himself with a confident and competent air. Though it was clear he had no formal military training, if the reports were to be believed, he had met and defeated Deain forces on numerous occasions before today.

Geoffrey was about to retort when another voice came. "Geoffrey!"

Any anger he had been feeling evaporated as he looked upon the face of his princess for the first time since that fateful day outside Melior. "Princess…ah," he suddenly felt more emotional than he had at any other point in his life. "To behold your face again…it's…it's…" He broke off as she encircled him in a tight embrace.

"If you had lost your life today, this reunion would not be taking place." She stepped back to look him in the eye. "Geoffrey, do you hear me? Be careful!"

Geoffrey could find no words of argument as she gazed at him. He could only nod in agreement. "Yes, Princess. Lucia…." he glanced at his sister, "…told me of what happened. Our country and princess now exist as one." His head bowed in a chagrined manner. "It was never our intent to sacrifice your feelings for the sake of the nation. Please forgive us."

Elincia lifted his head back up to meet her eyes and smiled brilliantly at him. And as the overcast skies began to clear and allow rosy tinted sunlight through, Geoffrey let out a deep breath as the burdens he had felt since they were separated finally lifted completely.

"But soft!" Bastian declared, "What luck that we do feel fate's kiss? Anon, the clouds do part, the rains do stop. Heaven itself does sing and thus rejoice. At the return of our one true ruler! Oh, Princess... Until world's end, do you we vow to follow! We are planets of your fair blazing sun!"

"No longer will we think of honor and dying in so cavalier a fashion." Lucia added. " No matter the difficulties we face, we will choose the road that allows us to continue living at your side."

Side by side, the three of them dropped to one knee before their princess, their sovereign, and dear friend. "Geoffrey, Bastian, Lucia... Thank you. Thank you." Tears which had been gathering in her eyes now overflowed and ran down her face. "I am...so very happy. With you at my side, I want to retake the kingdom of Crimea. Please, lend me your strength."

"Of course!" Geoffrey declared. _Though I still intend to have words with this General Ike later._

"For our fair sun, we would this life foreswear." Bastian agreed.

"To you, Princess Elincia, we three pledge our eternal loyalty." Lucia affirmed.

As they rose from their places, the sun began its final descent into night. When it rose again it would be a new day, one in which the true ruler of Crimea had returned to take her rightful place as its queen.

* * *

I hope you enjoyed that, and enjoy your Christmas break. Please leave me a review, and if anyone knows how to get a break without having the dosument manager delete them, I'd love to hear it.


	4. Marcia and Makalov

Another in this series. Enjoy.

* * *

Makalov grinned as he stared at the blocks on the table before him.

_Today's my lucky day,_ he thought to himself.

"So what will it be?" his opponent asked.

He had the Dragon, Hawk, and Goddess, in front of him, and had narrowed down the ones on the table until the only ones left were the Constellation, and the Mountain.

"Another hundred on the Constellation," he said, as he lazily tossed a coin sack onto the table. _The stars are on my side!_

The other gambler matched his bet and looked at him with an even expression. "Make your choice."

Makalov considered the pieces, for a moment before picking up one and flipping it over.

* * *

_This is the life,_ Marcia thought to herself, as she soared over the Begnion landscape.

Her unit had been going through maneuvers in Northern Begnion for the past week. These were held every so often to ensure that the Holy Pegasus Knights remained the most effective fighting force on Tellius. Not that there was any real threat to the Begnion Empire, but there were always sources of trouble that cropped up every once in a while that they would need to deal with. And so they practiced.

Included in the program were aerial maneuvers and formations, airborne jousts, dodging arrows, and ground operations for situations in which it was too dangerous to take flight, to name a few. As expected, her unit had done exceptionally well. Commander Sigrun was pleased. Sub-Commander Tanith, though, wore a serious expression. Marcia wasn't sure why she was like that, but figured it had to do with being responsible for the training regiment.

At any rate, the operation was over, and tomorrow they would be home. How she looked forward to seeing her family again, even her lout of a brother. Smiling, she turned her gaze toward Sienne, imagining she could see the Tower of the Goddess from here.

_This is the life,_ she though again.

* * *

"Marcia! You're back, and you're safe," Marcia's mother cried happily.

"Aw, Mom! It was just a little training op."

"Well, nonetheless, I worry when you go out there. After all, you were in the mountains. What if something had happened there?"

"Pfff, nothing was going to happen, and even if it did I had my sister knights there."

"I know. But you're still my little girl."

"Mother!"

"But I suppose you're right. Besides, I already have enough to worry about with your brother…speaking of which, have you heard from him at all? Your father and I haven't seen him for days."

Marcia rolled her eyes. "He probably got himself into trouble again and is waiting for it to blow over."

"I hope so. I just have this feeling that he's gotten in deeper that usual."

After getting home and the perturbing conversation about Makalov, Marcia decided she needed to get out and wind down from the weeks activities. A round of browsing the markets was a good way to do that. She wasn't much of a compulsive shopper, as a Pegasus Knight she had learned to travel light and do without, but she still enjoyed getting out and looking and besides, on certain rare occasion, one of them had something that she just had to have.

Today wasn't one of those days, however. Many stalls had interesting and unique trinkets but nothing to rivet her attention. So she continued wandering on, seeing everything, but looking at nothing.

"Are you Marcia?"

She turned to find herself facing a dubious looking individual. "Yes?"

"Do you have our gold?"

_Oh, great._ "I have gold, but I'm not sure why I should give you any."

"You should because it's ours! Your brother owes it to us."

_Oh, crackers! I knew it!_ "Look, I'm sorry about this, but I'm not responsible for my brother's finances. Talk to him."

"We haven't seen him for a month. And we're still unpaid. We have to get our payment somehow."

"Pfff, don't look at me!"

"Oh, I'm looking at you!" In more ways than one, she could tell, mentally cursing her uniforms tight fit.

Fed up, Marcia started to move away, but was not surprised when the man grabbed her. Seizing him arm in turn she pulled it behind him and shoved him into a crouch, while positioning her other hand around his throat.

"Look, buddy, I just came here to relax. Now you've gone and ruined it! I don't have your gold and I don't know where my brother is. If you have issues with him don't bring me into it!"

With that she released him and stalked off.

She heard him yelling but wasn't paying attention; she was too busy fuming. Honestly, she loved her brother, but there were times when she wondered how they could possibly be related. Despite being the younger of them, she had always been more mature, sensible, the responsible one. Makalov, on the other hand, was almost always in trouble of one kind or another. It all stemmed from his gambling habit, she was sure of it. He was always trying to "make the big one," as he put it, but he was not as skilled at these games as he thought he was. Inevitably, he faced a challenge he could not resist that was way over his head and got himself even deeper than he had to begin with. Then, when he had nothing left, he'd come crawling to her looking for relief.

In the past she had done so, out of a feeling of family obligation, but as it had continued on with no sign of abatement, she had regretfully been forced to tell him he was on his own. She simply did not make enough to make up the difference of his debts.

And apparently, he still hadn't learned. And so she found herself at the small flat he lived in.

"Makalov!" she called, pounding on the door.

"Marcia?" Her mother was coming up the street as well.

"What are you doing here?"

"I saw you heading this way. You seemed upset."

Marcia turned back to the flat. "When was the last time you saw Makalov?"

"I think it was around a week ago."

"Do you know if anyone has seen him since then?"

"No one that I would know," her mother sighed. "Why the sudden interest?"

"I just ran into a man in the market who claimed Makalov owed him money."

Her mother's eyes widened. "Oh, my."

"Yeah," Marcia replied. She headed in and went to her brother's room. It was cluttered, as usual, but there seemed to be a few things missing. The wardrobe had been left slightly ajar, and several sets of clothes were missing, along with a number of other things that appeared to have been grabbed in haste.

Her observations supported only one conclusion: _I was right, he skipped town! That jerk!_

In typical fashion, when faced with a problem he couldn't overcome, he ran, and left others to pick up the pieces. She really did love her brother, but…

_Fine, be that way. It's only a matter of time before he comes crawling back here anyway._

Sighing, she turned back to her mother. "Looks like he's gone. Grabbed a bunch of stuff and took off."

Her mother's eyes widened. "Oh, my son. What have you done this time?"

* * *

Makalov, was currently hitchhiking his way to the coast. He figured if he could get there, he could get a ride on a ship bound for…somewhere else. Once there, wherever there turned out to be, he wouldn't have to worry about the debtors anymore.

Then he could…do…something. But what?

Aw, it didn't matter. He'd figure it out when he got there.

When he did arrive at the coast a few days later, he was quite depressed. He had been certain that of all the carts and carriages running up and down the road, he'd be able to get a ride on some merchant's cart, a farmer's wagon, or even some noble's carriage, after all, who could resist his charm?

But no, none of them had spared him a second glance, and the only one to even talk to him, let alone let him ride had been the driver of a cart of manure. Great. Now not only was he penniless, he stank.

But at least he was here. Now to find a ship.

This proved to be about as fruitful as the search for a ride had been. What was wrong here? Couldn't they see how handsome he was? How strong he was? What could be wrong with them?

Eventually, someone approached him, a short, grimy-looking, muscle bound man.

"Yar, har, Matey. Ye be lookin' for a ship?"

Finally! "Yes! Do you know where one is?"

"Me capn' Havetti be always lookin' for new meat. Me be thinkin' you'd do fine."

"That sounds perfect! Where is he?"

"Tonight, when the sun sets, come back to this very spot. The ship sails with the tide. If ye be not there, we sails without ye, yar?"

"Yar! I mean yes! I'll be there."

The man gave a smile of broken, green teeth. "Good."

* * *

Two months had passed without a sign of Makalov. Marcia was starting to get worried. He had done this before, but usually was back within a few weeks. He didn't even have the guts to escape.

Except this time it appeared he did. At least she hoped so. The other possibility was that one of his creditors got fed up with waiting and…

She sincerely hoped that was not the case. As much as he caused problems she didn't want to lose him. But whatever his fate, his creditors were still not happy, and were getting more persistent in their attempts to get their money.

At first there had been perhaps one or two a week. They would show up at her house, demanding payment. She would shoo them away, only to have them return with the same demand.

Eventually, they began to get pushier, leading to an altercation which resulted in both she and the collectors spending the night in a cell, until her parents, along with Commander Sigrun, arranged her release. After that, she retreated to the confines of the Pegasus Knight's barracks, but even there she could not escape their pursuits.

It had gotten to the point that they were coming every day now, sometimes twice or three times a day. It was not a tolerable situation. Not only was it an embarrassment to her unit and the Pegasus Force as a whole to be hounded by debt collectors, but they collectors themselves began making lewd offers to write off the debts if she or one of her sister knights would spend an evening with them.

That was the last straw. These people had sullied her family's honor, hounded her and her brother constantly, but to insult the greatest warriors in Tellius? It was an outrage! It made her want to march out here and beat every last one of them into the next life. Wishful thinking of course; the Commander would never go along with it, and she couldn't take them all on by herself anyway.

_Blast them all! And Makalov too!_

Eventually, she figured there was only one thing to do, but it would involve making the most painful choice of her life: she would leave the Holy Pegasus Knights.

Yes, that would be the best choice. With her gone, the collectors would no longer have a reason to stay here and harass everyone.

And so, gathering what things she might need, and writing a letter explaining her resignation, she mounted her Pegasus and took to the skies to search for her brother.

_I only hope I'm not ruining both our futures._

* * *

Pirates! He had fallen in with pirates!

It seemed like a cruel joke. Like the Goddess was toying with him. He had actually asked Her one night, "Why are You doing this to me?"

For a second, he could have sworn he heard a disapproving sigh.

Whatever the case, he was trapped here, with murderous, pillaging pirates on every side, all of them swinging axes around like toys. He wondered of they slept with those things.

The worst part was that they made him do all the hard work. Scrubbing, lifting heavy crates and other such stuff, pulling barnacles off the hull, it was getting quite tiresome, but there was nothing he could do as long as they kept threatening to chop him into fish bait.

"Yar! That be me wager."

Wager? Now that was a word he could relate to. Looking in the direction of the voice, he found a group of pirates huddled together on the deck, each with a series of cards in his hand. Interest piqued, he stepped up to get a better look.

The pirates appeared to be attempting to arrange the cards into patterns based on the numbers and symbols printed on them.

"Yo, ho, looks like our new mate wants his share. What say ye?"

A variety of glances were turned on him, ranging from curiously amused to barely concealed hostility.

"What'll it be, matey?"

Makalov smiled as he reached for the small bag of coins he kept for just such an emergency.

* * *

The search for her brother did not get off to the most spectacular start. Knowing her brother, she had figured the gambling parlors would be the best place to start. Unfortunately, she had never actually been to one of these places, and was unprepared for the experience.

The gamblers were not the most helpful of people. Those that were not outright belligerent were not in the habit of keeping track of the movements of their patrons. Others had said they _might_ know where he went, for the right price, which always seemed to be the one thing she would _never_ give up, which could lead to trouble, as one had tried to take it instead, precipitating a full out brawl when she had tried to get away. It was only through the actions of a couple of the more gentlemanly gamblers that she had managed to escape.

After that she had determined to search elsewhere. It seemed clear that he was nowhere nearby. But where would he go?

Heading for the trading center, she began to ask recently arrived merchants of they had seen a man with pink hair anywhere. The question sounded kind of silly, she supposed but it didn't seem to be that common a color, so she was hoping any such sighting would be of him.

Her persistence finally paid off, as a merchant told her of a silly looking man, with pink hair had seemed to be hitchhiking south, towards the port perhaps. As soon as they said "silly looking" she knew it was him.

With a new lead, she mounted her Pegasus, and flew south, following the main road until she reached the port.

Once she arrived, she found herself in another goose chase. Ships were coming and going on a daily basis, and if he had gotten on one of them there was no telling where he had wound up. But, he didn't have that much money, probably not enough for a sea voyage. _Unless he stowed away,_ she thought.

Falling back on her original search pattern, she began locating the local chance houses to see if anyone matching his description had been there. This proved to be as fruitful as searching the ones back home had been, except these patrons here were even more crude and blatant in their manner. After two nearly disastrous incidents, she decided on another line of inquiry.

The dock masters, she figured were the next most likely people to have seen him, if he had left by ship that was. Unfortunately, none of them had seen him ship out on their docks.

Now she was starting to get frustrated. Didn't anyone know where he went?

"Looking for someone?"

_Not again! _Turning to the speaker, she found herself faced with a tall man, whose face was obscured by a hooded cloak.

"I might be able to help, for the righ…"

"Twenty five pieces of gold. Take it or leave it!"

The man seemed a little taken aback, but accepted her offer.

"A man matching your description was seen talking to one of Havetti's crew, prior to their sailing. He had been making something of a nuisance of himself since he arrived, but has not been seen since Havetti sailed. Good riddance, too, most think."

"Where were they going?"

The man seemed to think for a moment. "I can't seem to recall, I do hear so many things; it gets hard to keep them all straight."

Marcia clenched her teeth and placed an additional twelve coins into the waiting hand.

"Ah, yes. I believe they were sailing around the continent, eventually to end up in Crimea."

"Crimea?"

"That is what I heard."

"Ok, thank you!"

"My pleasure, dear lady," the stranger replied as he fingered the handful of coins.

Marcia started off, but stopped as something crossed her mind.

Turning back to the cloaked man, she asked, "By the way, what kind of ship did this Havetti sail?"

"He was a pirate captain."

Marcia suddenly felt a headache coming on.

* * *

At first Makalov had been delighted by this new game. He'd seemed to do well with it too, winning almost five times what he started with. But, inevitably his fortunes began to turn. What he never realized was that the more experienced players had deliberately lost the first few games, lulling him into a false sense of security. Now, however, the false pretenses were gone, and the pirates were pulling no punches.

In a flash, his winnings were gone, along with his initial amount. He tried to bluff, and keep calm, but they saw right through him. They knew he had nothing left, but kept inviting him back for more, what he couldn't pay he'd have to work off, and already he was in deep enough to keep him here for a long while.

It wasn't until he saw one of the cards fall to the floor after a game that he got an idea how to get out of this.

The next morning he waited for the pirates to start their game. He had two coins left. Actually, he had picked them up when some careless gambler had dropped them. But this would get him in, at least.

Eventually, the pirates emerged and went to work in their slow, careless manner. Makalov worked as well, close to one of the corners where he could curl up for a well deserved rest.

Later in the afternoon, one of them slammed a deck down and announced his challenge. Quickly others had joined in.

As they threw down money and sorted their hands, Makalov slipped the card he had snuck out up his sleeve.

"Wait, a blasted minute!" bellowed one of the pirates, peering at the hands that had been laid down. He pointed at Makalov's hand. "I had that card in me hand just now."

Instantly there was an uproar as angry pirates turned and glared at him. Makalov tried to quietly back away, but bumped into a solid mass behind him.

"And whar would ye be sneakin' of to, har?" Turning, he found himself face to face with Havetti. "Not up to the discussin'? Or are ye hidin' somethin'?"

Before Makalov could do anything the captain reached into his pocket and found some extra cards.

"Yar, mates! This scallywag was tryin' to pull one over on us!"

Makalov gulped.

"Yar, har! He be tryin' to cheat us. Couldn't pay what he owed, so he took what he wanted, eh?"

They were crowding around him now, wearing ugly sneers, many of them fingering their weapons.

"I says we skewer him and feed him to the sharks!" yelled one.

"Ahhhhh!"

"Keel-haul 'im, says I"

"Nononononono!"

"Ah, listen to 'im blubber," said Havetti. "Why should we bother with 'im? We're honest pirates here. No need for us to deal with stupid, land-lubbin' oafs. He don't learn the rules, then off the ship he goes!"

"What?"

"Put 'im over the side!"

"No! Wait!"

Makalov tried to break free as vice like grips seized him and hauled him to the side of the ship. Once there, they unceremoniously dumped him into the waiting sea below.

Struggling to keep his head above water he heard one of the pirates shout back to him, "May the sea gods have mercy on ye, ye mangy, pilfering…mangy…landlubbering…OAF!"

* * *

The trip was a nightmare. Following a ship was not something Marcia was proficient at, but she had no other choice. She had considered flying straight overland to Crimea, but decided against it, figuring information on where they had gone was more accurate than where they were going, and she was certain a Pegasus could outrun some oversized crate.

Still, the course she had to follow took her right through the gauntlet, Laguz on every side. Kilvas and Pheonicis to the south, Goldoa to the north, with Gallia further to the west. The bird tribes were the more serious threat as they would attack on sight, the Kilvas ravens to take anything she had on her, and the hawks of Phoenicis out of spite.

Naturally, she tended to fly closer to the coast of Goldoa, even landing when she and her mount needed rest, but still, she was no more anxious to meet one of the mysterious dragons than any other Laguz. As such, she spent no more time on the ground than was necessary.

Aside from Laguz, there were other dangers. The sea could be temperamental in this area, currents flowing between the mainland and the islands whipping up severe weather that could pose a serious threat to a Pegasus in flight, highs winds at the least, storms at worst.

Fortunately, she had only run into one that had actually forced her to ground, the rest had been mainly winds that had made flying difficult, and tiring.

And still there was no sign of the ship. She couldn't be that far behind it.

She continued on, past Goldoa, then Gallia, and finally into Crimea. She stopped at Port Toha, to see if anyone there had seen anything, but no such luck, so she continued on.

Continuing further north, she found the smaller Port Talma. And here she finally hit pay dirt. A ship was tied up at the dock, and not the most respectable of vessels judging by the characters wandering about the deck.

She landed outside the town and made her way in. Heading to a tavern, she began asking around.

"Who's the captain of that ship out there?"

The question drew surprised glances, but most turned away and stared at the floor.

"Please, I need to know."

"You'd do best to just stay in ignorance and leave this town. No good can come from that ship." The speaker turned out to be an old man with a long, white beard. "That is the ship of the Pirate Havetti."

"Perfect, where is he?"

The old man looked shocked. "Why would you want to see him, of all people? He's caused chaos since he arrived here, made off with anything that strikes him fancy…we've sent our daughters to a neighboring town, we've even commissioned some mercenaries to come and deal with them."

"I'm looking for someone, and Havetti might know where he is."

"Well, don't say I didn't warn you. That's him over there," the old man indicated a short, squat, man with a broad face like a toad. Hardly looking like the captain of a bunch of pirates.

"Thanks."

She walked briskly to the table where he was sitting. Havetti looked up as she approached, and indicated the other chair at the table, which she sat down in.

"Well, it's always a pleasure when a lady grants me her company. An' what can ol' Havetti do fer ye today?"

"I'm looking for someone. I think they may be aboard your ship. A man with pink, rather curly hair, given to gambling?"

"Ah, yar! I do seem to recall such bloke." He eyed her hair. "Relative of yours?"

"My brother, can you take me to him?"

"Yar, that I can, fair missy. Come to me ship, an' I'll reunite ye with yer dear brother."

"OK, I'll be there."

She got up and left the tavern, but as soon as she was outside, she felt a tap on her shoulder.

Turning, she faced another of the tavern patrons. She scowled at him and asked, "What do you want?"

"Nothing. I overheard you talking to the pirate and…I just thought I'd tell you, I think he's lying."

Marcia felt her heart sink. "Tell me you're kidding."

"I'm sorry. I'm a butcher around here, and _Havetti_," he spat the word out, "demanded I stock his provisions. I was actually aboard that ship, and I saw no one like you described. I don't think he's there. I'm thinking he wanted to lure you aboard for...well, I'm sure you can guess."

Indeed she could. "Thanks."

"No problem. Hate to see a pretty face wind up with the likes of them."

Marcia smiled appreciatively, before heading back out of town to where her Pegasus was tied up.

Thinking about the situation, she decided to visit the good captain after all, but armed and mounted.

* * *

Later that day she saddled up and mounted her Pegasus, took off, and flew around town to the ship's berth. She found Havetti bullying his sailors from the quarter deck.

Hanging just off it, she called to get his attention, "Hey! You! Boat monkey! You tricked me, didn't you?"

Havetti looked at her and grinned. "Tricked ye? What a vile and nasty thing that is to be sayin'." He turned to the first mate." Don't ye agree, matey?"

"Yar, that I do! There be nothing but honest pirates aboard this ship, missy," the mate affirmed.

_Yeah, sure._ "You said you knew the whereabouts of my older brother. That's why I came all the way to your ship."

"Aye, and we do know! He was on board for a while, and then... Do ye recall where he went, matey?"

The first mate grinned, showing green teeth. "Yar, that I do. He was a penniless oaf, so we tossed his worthless carcass into the rolling waves. Yar har ho!" He seemed quite pleased with himself.

Marcia stood aghast. "My…my brother? That's horrid!"

"Horrid? Did ye say horrid?" the mate bellowed. "Yer scurvy brother was the horrid one! He lost a game o' chance, he did. If ye lose, ye must pay... And the scallywag tried to cheat me! By Shanty Pete he did!"

That was probably true, but…

"Arr…calm yerself, me hearty," the captain said.

"Yar!...Yar?... Yar," came a somewhat befuddled reply.

"After all, his darlin' sister's come to pay us a visit," he continued. Turning back to her, he said, "What say ye work off yer brother's debt?"

_Jerky! Here we go again!_ This guy was dead, no two ways about it. "How about I run you through with my lance and call it a day?" she challenged.

The first mate seemed amused, "Yo ho har! It matters not that ye be a pegasus knight, lassie."

"A wee minnow like yerself is no match for us sea dogs! Prepare yourself, ye flying wench!" Havetti declared.

"Pfff! I'm not afraid of you, clambake! If your axe is as dull as your wit, this will be over in no time!" came her defiant reply as she flew down to the main deck.

The pirates wasted no time in coming after her. The first rushed her from the side and she maneuvered her Pegasus out of the way, and followed up with a knock form the blunt and of her lance that sent him careening over the side rail and into the water below. Another charged her head on, only to meet her lance. She shook her head as the corpse fell to the deck. Another on the rear was kicked in the head by her mount and sent to join his shipmate overboard.

Now they were starting to get serious. A gang of five had clambered onto the deck, looked at their fallen comrade, then looked at her and charged! She was able to kill the first one, and then spun her lance, knocking the weapon away from one, and hitting another in the head. The remaining two tried to flank her, but she urged her Pegasus foreword, until she was near the gangplank.

When she turned around, she saw even more pirates crowding the deck, too many to fight, and without room and time to takeoff properly, she had no way to escape.

"Oh, crackers! There's too many of them. I don't want to die here. Brother…this could be the end!"

A chill suddenly settled over her. "…So cold…" She closed her eyes and waited for death.

"Hey, are you alright?"

"…so…huh?" She looked up to see a young man with blue hair and eyes looking at her.

"Don't give up!" he said, smiling encouragingly.

"Wh-who are you?" She asked.

"I'm a mercenary. The villagers hired us to get rid of these pirates," he replied. Of course! The old man had mentioned something about that.

But still, that didn't mean they were on her side. "Are you... Are you going to help me?"

"Of course. Let me and my companions take it from here. You can escape while the pirates are distracted." At his mention, she noticed three others fighting the pirates with deadly efficiency.

She was a little overcome by their actions. "Oh, hey, that would be fantastic. Thanks so much! I don't know what to say."

He grinned. "You don't have to say anything. It's all in a days work."

"Pshaw! You're helping me out! I should show my gratitude somehow," she insisted.

"That's...nice, but I can't think of anything off the top of my head. Just get yourself somewhere safe, please."

"Well then... I'll come talk to you about repaying my debt later." She smiled at him, and asked, "What's your name, handsome?"

He flushed, clearly not accustomed to female attention. "Um... I'm Ike. I'm with the Greil Mercenaries."

Her smile grew wider. "Ike! Got it! And I am Marcia, a Pegasus knight of Begnion. Don't forget me! All right, I'll be seeing you later." With that she took off.

Later, she landed and thought back on the experiences of the day. Chasing the pirates had been a waste of time. Depending on where they threw Makalov off, he could be anywhere by now. She then thought of her near disastrous confrontation with Havetti's crew. _If Ike hadn't shown up when he did…_she shuddered.

A thought crossed her mind. _Maybe his group would be able to help ._It made sense; as mercenaries they probably took commissions from a number of people which meant they had connections around this country. And they could probably use a Pegasus Knight in some cases.

_So, it's settled, then,_ she thought. She'd see if these Greil Mercenaries would help her. Besides, she wouldn't mind seeing Ike again. _He sure was cute._

* * *

Makalov was not having the best of times. His attempt to escape had come to naught when the pirates had thrown him off their ship. Add to that the fact that he hadn't even made it out of Begnion!

Oh, well. He was sure he was out of reach of those debt collectors now. Or so he had thought. After crawling up the shore, he had trudged inland until he found the main road, picked a direction and started walking.

He had not gone too far when he ran across a caravan of some kind. Thinking he could get a ride somewhere. Waving them down, he asked for whoever was in charge.

When the leader appeared, Makalov nearly ran in the other direction. Why, of all the people traveling the roads of the Empire did he have to run into THESE people? The very ones he was trying to get away from?

"Well, what do we have here?" the leader, Gashilama, asked?

_Maybe he forgot? Please, let him forget!_

"Looks like a little weasel. A weasel that owes us a good bit of coin."

_Thanks a lot!_

This particular band was a group of trappers. They would go out into the wilds and return with various exotic creatures for the amusement of the nobility. At least, that was what they claimed.

Gashilama was a man hardened by a life outside civilization. Large, muscled body, sharp, dark eyes, and a low regard for any life other than his own. He had led these ruffians for just shy of twelve years. His usual customers were the rich noble families of Begnion, but recently he had begun dealing with someone else. Little was known of them, other than the fact that they were foreign, and were lining his pockets with enough gold to make the senators envy. Still, he was not above getting a little more through a round of chance, which is how Makalov was unfortunate enough to make his acquaintance.

Gashilama went over to the cowering man, grabbed him by the throat, and lifted him up to look him in the eye. "Well? Where is it?"

Makalov decided to try playing dumb. "Where is what?" Wrong choice.

Gashilama began tightening his grip. "The money you owe us! You disappeared for weeks. You'd better tell us you have it!"

"I…I…" Makalov's mind was racing. "I was trying to get it. I had even managed to get on with a merchant ship. But…I was washed over the side in…a terrible storm and wound up here. And all the money I saved is back on that ship!"

Gashilama burst out laughing. "Well, that's too bad, isn't it? Tell, you what; the lads and I have a large order to fill and we need more men. You join us, and work your debt off that way."

"Join you?" Makalov asked, his eyes darting around frantically. "B-but I'm not a hunter."

"Then you'll be a guard! We'll bring the beasties back from the wilds, and you'll keep them from escaping, and ward off any who get too nosy for their own good, as well as watch my back so I can deal with more important matters." Makalov was suddenly shoved against a tree with an axe held under his chin. "Do you accept?"

* * *

Finding the mercenaries had been a challenge in and of itself. None of the people around the area seemed to know where their base of operations was, or at least no one who was willing to tell. It was clear the Greil mercenaries had built a reputation for being at the call of the people of Crimea, as their activities rarely took them further than its borders, so she could understand a little mistrust of a foreigner asking about them.

Eventually, however, she had found the lead she was looking for. It led her to a fort not far from the northern cost of Crimea. Her upbeat attitude took a downturn when she saw a line of soldiers wearing black armor. Knowing those were not Crimea's colors, she landed near a copse of trees, secured her mount, and crept to the edge of the wood to see what was going on.

The soldiers were talking loudly, apparently not concerned about secrecy of sensitive information, and she quickly learned that Crimea had been invaded, and the Royal Family killed.

Heart pounding, she made her way back to where her Pegasus was tied up. Her heart all but stopped when her foot landed on a loose branch that broke with a snap that seemed deafening.

"What was that?"

"What was what?"

"I thought I heard something in those trees."

"Eh, probably just an animal. Go check it out just in case."

Marcia continued backing out as quietly as she could. The footsteps of the soldiers came closer.

"Wait! I see something." Marcia froze.

"Over there! Something moved. See that patch of white?"

She looked down at her white tunic…not exactly concealing in woods like these.

"Yeah! Hand me a bow."

She heard some shuffling sounds and risked a glance around. Seeing nothing in her immediate line of sight, she decided to chance a look around the tree she was leaning against. Still unable to see anything, she tensed as she heard the sound that every Pegasus Knight dreaded: the twang of an arrow being released. She listened as the arrow whistled through the air, landing in the trunk of a tree some distance away.

The sound was enough to draw out their quarry. A large, white-chested stag came bounding out of the woods.

"There he goes!" Marcia allowed herself to breath again.

Waiting until the chase got a fair distance away before moving, she was able to escape while they were distracted. She untied her Pegasus and urged her forward in a light canter, not daring to take to the air until she was a mile away and staying low afterward..

Once airborne again, she proceeded directly to where the mercenary fort was said to be. In addition to her thoughts about joining them and repaying her debt, she now also felt to warn them of the coming danger, provided they didn't already know about it, and she wasn't too late.

Her hopes were dashed when, as she approached her destination, she saw a plume of smoke.

She was too late. Signs of battle were everywhere and a fire in the courtyard seemed to be burning a mound of bodies. She bowed her head sadly; she had failed to warn the mercenaries, and she had probably failed her brother as well. Now she was miles from home, on a wild goose chase in a now hostile land.

Looking back at the fort, she searched her mind for some kind of tribute. She hadn't known them very well, but if Ike had been any indication, they had been decent folk, deserving of a better end than this.

Looking closer, she suddenly realized the bodies in the large smoldering mound were all wearing black armor! Thinking on it, she realized that the invaders would most likely have herded them into the fort and torched them that way.

She continued on, a new picture of recent events forming in her mind. Looking in a storeroom settled the matter. There were rings of dust on the floor where barrels had been, and crates that had been torn open.

The evidence seemed clear: the mercenaries had left. They had driven off the attackers, killing many of them in the process, then packed up and left.

She glanced back at the pile of bodies, her respect for these fighters raised by several points. But where would they go? The only way they could go really was south. Examining the ground seemed to support that conclusion: sets of footprints from both horses and infantry headed off in that direction.

Hoping this really was them, she started following.

Her pursuit took her clear across Crimea, until she lost them in the sea of trees. She knew this was the border from Crimea into Gallia, a Laguz nation. Why they would head in there was beyond her, but she figured it would make tracking them a little easier. After all, there couldn't be too many bands of humans around here.

It took several more days to catch up with them. During that time, she was surprised to see the black clad army, which she had found was from Daein, moving south as well. Another close encounter provided her with the direction she needed.

A passing band of soldiers mentioned how a group of common sell-swords had held off an entire brigade at a nearby castle until a pair of beast warriors had driven them off.

Getting out of earshot of the soldiers, she took to the air, heartened by what she heard.

_Can't be much further!_

Indeed they were not. The next day she had found them near the coast battling more of the Daein army; a quick look around located Ike with his people on the beach.

Flying over, she called to him, "Ike!"

He looked in her direction. "You!" His surprise was evident. "You're that…"

"That's right!" She was pleased he remembered. "It's me! Marcia! As promised, I'm here to pay my debt…I'm going to join your group!"

Ike's surprise became even greater, "Join us? But I thought you were one of the Holy Pegasus Knights of Begnion…"

"Pfff, I resigned!" she interrupted. "So, what do you say? Are you going to let me in or what? Come on!"

Ike seemed unsure. _He really is cute._ "Are you sure about this?" he began. "I'll be honest with you. We're a destitute band of mercenaries. Your wages will be pittance compared to what you're used to."

She began to feel disappointed. "So, what? Are you saying no?"

"No, I'm simply pointing out to you that you'll be losing almost all of…"

"Pfff, I won't lose out on anything!" she cut him off. "Plus, I'll work twice as hard as anyone else. C'mon, please let me join! PLEEEASE!"

"Well, if that's what you want, I guess we'll give it a shot. We're shorthanded though, so you're going to be busy," Ike explained.

Marcia cheered, "Huzzah! That's great! Just tell me what needs doing!"

* * *

Thus began her travels with the band known as the Greil Mercenaries. Greil, Ike's father, and founder of the band, had apparently been killed a few days before. A shame, as Marcia had wanted to meet him. With recent events, Ike was left to take charge of the company and their current task, which was escorting Crimea's Princess Elincia to Gallia. Actually, she had been at Gallia's castle for some time now, but it was soon determined that she should look elsewhere.

And so, with fresh provisions, funds and two Gallians with them, they made their way back into Crimea to Port Toha, got in a fight when some of the locals found out there was a Laguz in their midst and started beating on him until Ike stepped in the way, escaped on the ship to travel to Begnion, sailed for months around the continent, got trapped by some Kilvas Ravens were bailed out by Goldoan dragons, and assisted in defending the Apostle from having boarders take over her ship. All in all, an eventful trip.

Now they were waiting for Apostle Sanaki, who turned out to be a girl barely out of childhood, though by no means lacking in subtlety or political machinations, to decide what her course of action would be concerning Crimea.

In the meantime, Marcia was going out of her way to avoid her former sisters. She had thought she would be pleased to have the chance to see them, but the circumstances surrounding her departure left a shame that caused her to dread having to explain herself to them. It was made even more difficult by the fact that Sigrun and Tanith frequently came by to discuss matters with Commander Ike. She usually stayed in their quarters until they were gone, as they were the ones she least wanted to face.

Eventually, Sanaki came back with a task for them. They were to seize the cargo of some merchants traveling an old highway. Sounded simple enough, but Marcia wondered if there was a catch somewhere.

Sure enough, when challenged, the caravan had proven itself to be more than it seemed. Armed ruffians appeared from every bush and gulley it seemed. Marcia pulled her lance and readied herself for combat.

* * *

Makalov looked up at the sky and frowned at the gathering clouds.

"Ah…what terrible luck. My sixth sense told me the weather would be nice today." His luck had been terrible ever since he had fallen in with this lot. While the work was relatively easy, it was long and dull. Given the wide ranges they worked on, he had been provided with a horse, a second rate, overworked looking horse, but he wasn't complaining…too much. Now however, it looked like there might be real trouble. An armed company had approached and was demanding their surrender. His first instinct was to throw down his sword and gallop off in the other direction, or throw himself after the sword and beg for mercy.

An unpleasant voice broke his train of thoughts. "Hey! Grumbling and whining won't pay off your debt! Come on, beautiful, cough up my gold!"

"I'd dearly love to pay you but unfortunately…I'm broke," Makalov replied. This particular man was another that he had met around the gambling table, and now owed money too.

"Not again! You're employed as a bodyguard! Why don't you have enough gold to pay me back? Grr! When we get back to the base, I'll get what's mine. Try to run and you'll pay in pain!"

"Threaten all you like! I can't give you what I don't have! Ooo, I hope that sounded brave... Oh, dear... What am I going to do? It seems I must go crawling back to my dear sister once again. Oh, she's going to be so mad... But in the end, I'm sure she'll help! After all, it's for the life of her brother! Right! Tonight, I pay a little visit to the barracks of the sacred Pegasus Knights!"

Satisfied with his solution, he turned his attention back to the field. There was a battle going on, and if he was to have a chance to see his sister, he'd do well to survive. With that in mind he began moving further west, away from the attackers, who seemed more intent on getting to the boss.

He was stopped by a sudden call. "B-b-brother?"

He turned to see a pegasus diving toward him, with a very familiar rider…

"Hey, Marcia!" he called. "Heh…Hey, long time, huh? Good timing, though! I was just thinking about paying you a visit, Sis."

"Long time? Long time? You dungheel!" She was clearly in a foul mood. "Where in the name of heaven have you been? You racked up all that debt and then ran away? You're such an irresponsible skunk! Thanks to your worthless hide, I had to leave the sacred Pegasus Knights!"

"Huh? But why?" he asked.

"Because there were a bunch of debt collectors hanging around the barracks! That's why!"

"Oh, that's... That's a shame. Listen, I was trying to increase the money I borrowed and pay off the original, but it, um...vanished." he explained desperately. "And I swear that just kept happening! I'd almost get enough and then...poof! Gone! Ha, ha! Ha? Hmm..."

If anything, his explanation infuriated her even more. "You rat. You cheese-eating rat! You haven't changed at all... Let's go. You're coming with me."

"With you…where are we going? What am I going to do?" he asked, anxiously.

"You're joining my company. I'm going to let Ike beat some sense into you. We'll see how that works," Marcia explained.

"No, wait... I'm working for these guys at the moment, and... Well, if I just up and joined with the other side, it might cause problems—"

He tried to reason with her, but she would not have any of it.

"STUFF IT, SPONGE-BRAIN! NO MORE LAME EXCUSES! FOLLOW ME! NOW!" yelled his now red-faced sister.

Makalov cringed. Between fear of the trappers and fear of his sister, there was only one way to go.

"Sorry, Sis! Sorry! I'm coming…"

* * *

Much later, after the trappers had been cleared out, and the company had returned to Sienne, the two of them were able to spend some time together. Makalov spent most of it detailing his failed escape attempt and how all the fates seemed to be against him, and asking why she was so upset.

"Upset?" she replied, "I'm not upset! I'm mad! So mad I can barely even think! First time we've seen each other in months and all I've done is yell and all you've done is make excuses. So we're going to see someone who can clear this up." With that Marcia marched him to their home.

"Mom! Dad! I'm home! And I brought him!" she called.

Her parents rushed out to meet them.

"You're here! Both of you, safe and sound!"

"You had your mother and I worried about you both. Now would you mind explaining what happened that caused you both to disappear for months at a time?"

And so they told their tale, each side, as their parents listened. When they were done they waited for a moment before their father spoke.

"Well, that's quite an adventure you've had. You've both been very lucky…and very foolish. Marcia, in your rush you did not stop to think about the consequences. You may have thrown away your future in the service of the Apostle. Why did it have to be you who went looking for him? There are any number of others who could have done so. Why not the authorities, or even myself? He is my son after all." Marcia simply stared at the floor in shame.

"And you, Makalov, your behavior has caused more problems than anything else I've seen. Marcia is responsible for her own actions, but you were the one that created the situation in the first place. I have warned you time and again that nothing good can come of that. I hope this has taught you a lesson you won't soon forget."

Makalov nodded mutely.

"So, what now?" Marcia asked timidly.

"Well, what you do is your decision. I trust you will make a good one. For Makalov, you say this Ike has agreed to pay your debts for you?"

"Yes, yes he has!" Makalov replied cheerfully.

"And, what else?" their father pressed.

"What, what else?"

"Come now. From what Marcia has said, this Ike is a man of sound character. In fact," he chuckled, "I dare say she sounds a little taken with this intrepid commander." Marcia turned away, blushing. "But I do not think that he is so generous or naïve as to pay off the debts of a compulsive gambler only to turn him loose again. What does he expect in return?"

Makalov stood in silence.

"He has to fight for them until he works it off." Marcia explained.

Their father turned a stern glance back onto his son. "Is this so?"

"Yes," Makalov squeaked.

Their father sighed. "Well, then, you had best continue with them, until you pay back EVERY coin you owe. Is that clear?"

"Yes, sir," came the quiet reply.

"And you, Marcia? Will you go with them as well?"

"Yes. I still have something I owe them myself. Besides, I need to keep an eye on this one," she said, indicating her brother.

"Very well. Good luck to both of you. Be safe and take care of each other," their father said.

"Remember that we love you both," their mother said. She then stepped forward and gave them each an embrace and kiss. "Take care," she whispered.

"We will," Marcia assured her. Then with a look at Makalov, and a sharp jerk of her head, the two of them stepped outside and walked off.

Their mother watched them go then asked her husband, "Do you think they'll be alright?"

"I think so," he replied. "They sound like they are in good company and engaged in a great cause. I think this experience will be to their benefit."

His wife nodded as she watched her children walk off.

* * *

There you go. Happy 2011!


End file.
